Turkish main opposition CHP objects to Assad proclamation

CASCAIS – Anatolia News Agency

CHP deputy chair Faruk Loğoğlu. DHA photo

Turkey’s main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) opposed today a draft proclamation of the Socialist International, which says Bashar al-Assad should not take part in a transitional government in Syria.

“Coherently with the stance of the U.N. and the Syrian opposition, the Socialist International is against Bashar Al-Assad taking part in a transitional government in Syria,” the proclamation had said.

CHP deputy chair Faruk Loğoğlu, who attended the Socialist International meeting in Cascais province of Portugal, objected to the statement by saying that the U.N.’s stance was expressed inaccurately, Anatolia news agency reported.

“We explained the situation to Socialist International chair George Papandreu and to the secretariat. We reminded them that the U.N. does not have such a stance regarding Bashar al-Assad and that the Syrian opposition leader recently declared that they are ready to negotiate with the regime,” Loğoğlu said.

“We told them that this won’t be useful to solving the problem and Papandreu agreed with us. Our target was not to protect Assad. The only thing we wanted was to contribute to a solution that would stop violence in the country and liberate the Syrian people,” he added.

Loğoğlu also said the Socialist International decided to establish a working group on Syria, in which the CHP will also take part. The CHP committee returned to Ankara last night.